Woods realizing his dream

By John PattonCorrespondent

Published: Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.

Wearing a tight Team USA track jersey that accentuates an upper body with more cuts than a barber shop, Regas Woods grips the American flag in each hand before stretching to unfurl it behind his shoulders, giving himself a red, white and blue backdrop.

Paralympic athlete Regas Woods poses during a photo shoot at Brick City Adventure Park. Woods made Team USA and is training for the world games in France, which he's leaving for on July 14.

Alan Youngblood/OCALA STAR-BANNER

He points to the sun-drenched sky with his left index finger while flexing his right biceps, Hulk Hogan style.

All the while, the 32-year-old father of two bounces from side to side on the track at Brick City Park, not because of nervous energy but because of the two things that make him different from many other world-class sprinters.

His legs.

“I can't stand still,” Woods jokes while looking down at his two seven-pound prosthetics that start just above his knees. “They won't let me.

“I've gotta keep moving.”

That has proven to be a theme for him in 2013.

Woods spent half of March and part of April in Chula Vista, Calif., working out at the 155-acre United States Olympic Training Facility. Then, in mid-June he earned a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Team, qualifying in the 100, 200 and long jump.

On Sunday, he came home to Ocala from a competition in Europe, and on July 14 he will return, joining the rest of Team USA in Lyon, France for the world championships. Right after that, it's off to London for a one-year post-Olympics event.

“I'm very excited for him,” Woods' coach, James Oliver, said. “It has been his dream to represent his country ever since he started (competing more than a decade ago).

“To be able to put on that uniform now... His dream is now realized.”

Well, not quite.

“My goal now is to go to Lyon, make my country proud and perform well,” Woods said.

Then, after a short pause, “and possibly bring back gold.”

The hopes were similar heading into last summer's Paralympic Trials in Indianapolis. But a pulled muscle suffered in a preliminary round forced him to gut his way through the 100 and 200, and he didn't qualify for the team.

He's philosophical about that disappointment now.

“In track sometimes you can run a world record time one week and your worst time ever the next,” Woods said. “It just didn't work out for me then.”

Woods will travel to Lyon ranked eighth in the world in the 100 (second in the U.S. to Shaquille Vance) with a time of 13.72. His 200-meter time (28.35) is seventh-fastest in the world and second in the U.S. to Vance.

The big surprise perhaps is how much of a natural Woods has proven to be in his newest event, the long jump.

While in Chula Vista, trainers told every competitor they had to at least attempt one jump, something that, at first, made the Dunnellon High School alum shake his head and quietly say “I have no desire to do that.”

But he did, landing more than 10 feet away. Suddenly, he was a long jumper.

And now, with a qualifying mark of 5.42 meters, he ranks fourth in the world and second in the U.S. to good friend Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

“If you had told me six months ago that I could do that, I would have thought you were crazy,” Woods said.

Much of Woods' life has been spent proving to himself and others his belief that anything is possible if you never say never (the theme behind neversayneverfoundation.org, which he helped start). However, the physical part is almost easy for him.

Woods said he gets tremendous support from people like Oliver, sponsor Bill Reid, his boss at Hanger Clinic Jeff Inso, and his mother, Deborah Simon, who taught him a young age to push himself. But working 40 hours each week only allows for approximately 18 hours of training, while many of his competitors are able to more than double that output.

“It gets costly,” Woods said. “I have to work full-time to take care of my family.

“Ideally, I'd have some major sponsors that support what I am doing. Then, I could go down to UF each morning to work out on the Mondo track there and work out up here (at Innovative Athletic Performance Institute and Brick City Fitness) after that. I could treat track as my occupation like some athletes are able to.

“Hopefully, if I do what I think I can do at the world championships, doors like that will open up. I want people to take notice.”

<p>Wearing a tight Team USA track jersey that accentuates an upper body with more cuts than a barber shop, Regas Woods grips the American flag in each hand before stretching to unfurl it behind his shoulders, giving himself a red, white and blue backdrop.</p><p>He points to the sun-drenched sky with his left index finger while flexing his right biceps, Hulk Hogan style.</p><p>All the while, the 32-year-old father of two bounces from side to side on the track at Brick City Park, not because of nervous energy but because of the two things that make him different from many other world-class sprinters.</p><p>His legs.</p><p>“I can't stand still,” Woods jokes while looking down at his two seven-pound prosthetics that start just above his knees. “They won't let me.</p><p>“I've gotta keep moving.”</p><p>That has proven to be a theme for him in 2013.</p><p>Woods spent half of March and part of April in Chula Vista, Calif., working out at the 155-acre United States Olympic Training Facility. Then, in mid-June he earned a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Team, qualifying in the 100, 200 and long jump.</p><p>On Sunday, he came home to Ocala from a competition in Europe, and on July 14 he will return, joining the rest of Team USA in Lyon, France for the world championships. Right after that, it's off to London for a one-year post-Olympics event.</p><p>“I'm very excited for him,” Woods' coach, James Oliver, said. “It has been his dream to represent his country ever since he started (competing more than a decade ago).</p><p>“To be able to put on that uniform now... His dream is now realized.”</p><p>Well, not quite.</p><p>“My goal now is to go to Lyon, make my country proud and perform well,” Woods said.</p><p>Then, after a short pause, “and possibly bring back gold.”</p><p>The hopes were similar heading into last summer's Paralympic Trials in Indianapolis. But a pulled muscle suffered in a preliminary round forced him to gut his way through the 100 and 200, and he didn't qualify for the team.</p><p>He's philosophical about that disappointment now.</p><p>“In track sometimes you can run a world record time one week and your worst time ever the next,” Woods said. “It just didn't work out for me then.”</p><p>Woods will travel to Lyon ranked eighth in the world in the 100 (second in the U.S. to Shaquille Vance) with a time of 13.72. His 200-meter time (28.35) is seventh-fastest in the world and second in the U.S. to Vance.</p><p>The big surprise perhaps is how much of a natural Woods has proven to be in his newest event, the long jump.</p><p>While in Chula Vista, trainers told every competitor they had to at least attempt one jump, something that, at first, made the Dunnellon High School alum shake his head and quietly say “I have no desire to do that.”</p><p>But he did, landing more than 10 feet away. Suddenly, he was a long jumper.</p><p>And now, with a qualifying mark of 5.42 meters, he ranks fourth in the world and second in the U.S. to good friend Rudy Garcia-Tolson.</p><p>“If you had told me six months ago that I could do that, I would have thought you were crazy,” Woods said.</p><p>Much of Woods' life has been spent proving to himself and others his belief that anything is possible if you never say never (the theme behind neversayneverfoundation.org, which he helped start). However, the physical part is almost easy for him.</p><p>Woods said he gets tremendous support from people like Oliver, sponsor Bill Reid, his boss at Hanger Clinic Jeff Inso, and his mother, Deborah Simon, who taught him a young age to push himself. But working 40 hours each week only allows for approximately 18 hours of training, while many of his competitors are able to more than double that output.</p><p>“It gets costly,” Woods said. “I have to work full-time to take care of my family.</p><p>“Ideally, I'd have some major sponsors that support what I am doing. Then, I could go down to UF each morning to work out on the Mondo track there and work out up here (at Innovative Athletic Performance Institute and Brick City Fitness) after that. I could treat track as my occupation like some athletes are able to.</p><p>“Hopefully, if I do what I think I can do at the world championships, doors like that will open up. I want people to take notice.”</p>